BEIRUT, 15 August 2007 — Lebanese rally champion Abdo Feghali continued with his series of victories during the recent second stage of the Lebanese Racing Championship. The Red Bull driver won on his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI the Championship organized by the ATCL in Falougha, after he outbeat fellow-citizen Rodrigue Rahi and Syrian driver Shadi Kazbari.
He thus registered his 6th victory in such races out of 6 participations after the 3 stages of the Lebanese Championship last year, the 1st stage of this year’s Middle East Hill Climbing Championship that took place in Syria last June, and the 1st stage of the Lebanese Racing championship.
With 1:47:71 min, Abdo succeeded in breaking his last year’s record on the same track, after improving his time in the 1st round (1 second) and in the 2nd round (2 seconds).
Rahi ranked 2nd, 6 seconds behind Abdo, and Kazbari 3rd with around 7 seconds behind, knowing that the points of the 1st and 2nd stages are taken into account only in the Lebanese championship and that the 3rd and final stage is also the 3rd stage of the Middle East Hill Climbing Championship which is expected to be held on Sept. 9.
Abdo declared that this time too, it was an easy victory, “despite my competitor’s good performance, I was few seconds ahead of him in every SS. Besides, I did not face any problem, knowing that the race track is quite difficult. It is located at 1,600 m above sea-level and includes narrow and slippery bends and steep uphill slopes.”
He said he was sure he was going to break his old record. “But I did not expect to break it with 2 seconds,” Abdo added.
Abdo who dazzled the public once again in Falougha, is now looking forward to win the race and the title in the 2nd stage of the Middle East Hill Climbing Championship to be held in Tell Al Rumman in Jordan on Aug. 24.
Roger Feghali, Abdo’s brother and International Rally of Lebanon champion, will be participating in the Jordanian championship. “As usual, it will be a very tight competition between me and my brother Roger, knowing that he has been practicing for this race for a while. I too, will be going to Jordan to practice and experience the tracks next Saturday and Sunday, knowing that I am the only one who never drove in Tell Al Rumman. However, my main goal will be to finish the race ahead of the Jordanian and Syrian drivers in order to win the championship before the final stage in Lebanon.”
On his expectations for the Jordanian race, Abdo said: “God willing, I will win the hardest race”.
Based on the best times registered in any of the 3 rounds, the official classification of the first 10 drivers is as follows:
